This invention relates to a magnetic therapeutic device for humans and animals.
Strained and sprained muscles, bruised tissues and stiff or arthritic joints are common problems in both humans and animals. Conventionally these are treated by applying heat to the body part in some way, for example, by hot, wet compresses, electric heating pads, diathermy machines or hot water baths or boots.
Race horses are prime examples of valuable animals whose muscles are worked to the limit and suffer strains, sprains, and hock and knee injuries. Aside from humane considerations, a horse must not be raced when it would aggravate an injury, lest it worsen and terminate his career. On the other hand, he must be healed and ready to race as soon as possible to keep him in top form and maximize his owner's return on investment, whether the horse is raced as a business or as a sport.
There are special problems in treating leg injuries in horses, or other animals, by the conventional methods which work on humans. Immobilization for hot, wet compress treatment is not practical, nor is restricting movement for any length of time to effect diathermy treatment. Many devices have been proposed to provide hot water therapy for soreness and lameness in racehorses. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,329 describes a long, hot-water-filled trough with inclined entrance and exit ramps. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,835,815 and 4,332,217 show an open tank into which a horse can be lowered by a hoist and sling U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,217 shows an exercising treadmill. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,155,072; 3,234,935; and 3,272,201 show stationary water-filled boots in which the horse stands during treatment of leg injuries. This equipment is expensive, bulky, awkward, inconvenient, and restricts the horse's movements, even though some of these are described as "exercising equipment".
I have developed an improved magnetic therapeutic device and method of using it which is effective and speedy in treating a variety of human and animal ailments, especially for use on legs and arms.
The effect of magnetism on the body has been the subject of speculation for a great many years. The use of magnets in belts, belly bands, bracelets, adhesive plaster, clothing, footwear, necklaces and other items of wear or adornment has been proposed for therapeutic purposes, but the effectiveness of magnets for these purposes has been difficult to prove and it has not been widely accepted.
However, blood and other fluids circulating within the body are ionized. Sodium and potassium ions are abundant in all body fluids. Ions of many other elements are present at least in trace amounts. When flowing in a magnetic field, they, therefore, may be expected to act in the nature of an electric current and be subject to forces and electromagnetic relationships according to Fleming's Rule.
Previous proposals to apply magnetic energy to body tissues have been concerned with devices for directing magnetic flux into the tissue being treated. No significance has been attached to possible differences in therapeutic effects of flux emitting from the respective north and south poles of magnets in the aforementioned devices.
I have discovered, contrary to previous assumptions and proposals, that opposite magnetic poles have unique therapeutic effects on body tissues. These effects are significantly different, even opposed in some respects. Further, magnetic flux from either pole alone can be directed into a body part to obtain unique effects; and by applying the north and south pole fluxes sequentially, they will cure or heal a wide variety of acute and chronic ailments and injuries.
In the present state of the art, little is known about the nature of magnetism beyond the facts that unlike poles attract, like poles repel, and iron, nickel and cobalt make the best magnets; and that electric current within or without a conductor, and magnetism, are related according to the so-called "Fleming Rule". Further, the chemical, electrical and magnetic interactions within the body at the atomic, molecular and tissue cell levels are only vaguely understood. Inasmuch as blood and body fluids are electrically conductive and ionized, it is believed they produce magnetic fields at least at the molecular or atomic levels in much the same manner as electrical currents consisting of moving electrons produce magnetic fields according to the Fleming Rule.
According to accepted findings, the outer membrane of normal blood and tissue cells, and the outer fiber covering of nerves, have an electrogalvanic potential across them. The external surface of the nerve outer fiber cover has a charge which is positive relative to the interior. When the tissues in a body part are subjected to trauma, infection, disease, or are severed, the potential across that outer nerve fiber cover increases, automatically sending a sensation of pain to the brain.
Unfortunately, there is an opposite, conflicting, electrogalvanic relationship between injured and diseased tissue and blood on the one hand, and nerves on the other hand. The rate of healing of injured tissue increases if the electrogalvanic potential across the tissue outer membrane is increased. This improves blood circulation, and speeds up exchange of oxygen and waste products in the tissue. But where tissue is painful, pain increases if the potential across the nerve outer fiber coating is increased.
Thus, any means or method of increasing the potential across both the outer membrane of the tissue and adjacent outer nerve fiber coating would be counterproductive because increase in pain would limit mobility and exercise which are essential for healing and full restoration of muscles and joints. Ideally, before any attempt is made to heal and restore body tissue, it must be free of pain.
I have discovered that flux from a north pole of a magnet if applied in effective levels in the order of at least 200 gauss per square inch has a sedator effect, reduces pain, mobilizes calcium, relieves muscle spasms, increases joint mobility and lowers the pH of the affected tissues. By contrast, flux from a south pole of a magnet stimulates circulation, speeds healing time, strengthens tissues, and raises the pH to a weak alkaline condition characterizing healthy tissue. I believe, without at this time being able to explain the exact electrogalvanic and magnetic interactions at the atomic or molecular levels, that the north pole flux may reduce the electrogalvanic potential across the nerve sheaths in the affected tissue to a value substantially below that recognized by the brain as a pain signal; and that the south pole flux, if applied subsequently, does not raise the potential to a value which the brain would recognize as a pain signal, thus it can effect healing while enabling normal exercise without pain.
With these principles in mind, I have found that, by first applying north pole flux of a substantial magnitude completely around the periphery of a muscle, tendon or joint, it will effectively elminate pain and mobilize the patient; then, by applying south pole flux in the same manner while the patient exercises normally, it will rebuild and strengthen these body parts in a shorter recovery time than is possible with conventional treatment apparatus and methods.